Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Superstition is built to last

“Someday,” the homeopath said softly, “this
world will be burned to a crisp by some solar mishap and all that will be left
will be cinder about the size to blow in somebody’s eye. And this is a terrible
thing to say but it’s the truth—when that day comes, I’ll be glad. And why,
sir? I’ll tell you. Because of unreasonable and groundless superstition.
Because of just such irrational and unfounded beliefs as this one you bring up
today as if it was something deserving of serious attention. And this is just
one instance, mind you. How many more do you think there are? Sometime you’d
ought to look in a microscope at a drop of pure clear well water and see the
bacteria in it moving and spinning around, it’d scare you to death. That’s how
superstition moves and spins through the clear air of the world, like bacteria
and deadly germs. You can buy Rough on Rats and for all I know Rough on
Tarantulas and Rough on Death Adders but what kind of poison can you buy for a
pest that’s ten times worse than them and itch and cholera combined?
Afflictions and sickness wear out, but superstition’s like tarpaulin, made to
weather the storm. If anybody asks you what’s built to last, to outwear platina
and the impious towers of loony kings, put a bug in their ear for me, will you?—say: half-baked opinions, half-cocked
prepossessions and godless proprieties founded on dread and incomprehension!” --From Marry Me, Carry Me

About Me

The picture is of my step-great-aunt Ardyth Kennelly (married name Ullman) at her typewriter. Her last novel, "Variation West," was published in 2014 by Sunnycroft Books; her memoirs are being prepared for publication. For more information, please visit ardythkennelly.com.